Clark: November 3, 1805

November 3rd Sunday 1805. The fog was so thick this morning we did not think it prudent to set out until 10 o'clock. We set out and proceeded on very well, accompanied by our Indian friends. This morning Labich killed 3 geese flying. Collins killed a duck. The water rose inches last night, the effects of the tide. The country has a handsome appearance ahead—no mountains, extensive bottoms, the water shallow for a great distance from shore. The fog continued thick until 12 o'clock. We coasted, and halted at the mouth of a large river on the larboard side. This river throws out an immense quantity of sand and is very shallow; the narrowest part is 200 yards wide with a bold current, much resembling the River Plat (Platte). Several islands lie about 1 mile up, and it has a sand bar of 3 miles in extent immediately in its mouth, discharging its waters by 2 mouths, and crowding its coarse sands so as to throw the Columbian waters on its northern banks, confining it to 1/2 mile in width. We passed a small prairie on the starboard side above, a large creek opposite Quick Sand River on the starboard side, extensive bottoms and low hilly country on each side (a good wintering place). A high peaked mountain, supposed to be Mt. Hood, is on the larboard side, S. 85 E., 40 miles distant from the mouth of Quick Sand River.

November 3rd Sunday 1805. The fog was so thick this morning that we could not see a man 50 steps off. This fog detained us until 10 o'clock, at which time we set out, accompanied by our Indian friends who are from a village near the great falls. Previous to our setting out, Collins killed a large buck, and Labiech killed 3 geese flying. I walked on the sand beach on the larboard side, opposite the canoes as they passed along. The undergrowth—rushes, vines, etc.—in the bottoms was too thick to pass through. At 3 miles I arrived at the entrance of a river which appeared to scatter over a sand bar, the bottom of which I could see quite across and which did not appear to be 4 inches deep in any part. I attempted to wade this stream and to my astonishment found the bottom a quicksand, and impassable. I called to the canoes to put to shore. I got into the canoe and landed below the mouth, and Capt Lewis (Capt. Lewis) and myself walked up this river about 1 1/2 miles to examine it. We found it to be a very considerable stream, discharging its waters through 2 channels which form an island of about 3 miles in length on the river and 1 1/2 miles wide, composed of coarse sand which is thrown out of this quicksand river, compressing the waters of the Columbia and throwing the whole current of its waters against its northern banks, within a channel of 1/2 a mile wide. Several small islands lie 1 mile up this river. This stream has much the appearance of the River Plait (Platte), rolling its quicksands into the bottoms with great velocity, after which it is divided into 2 channels by a large sand bar before mentioned. The narrowest part of this river is 120 yards. On the opposite side of the Columbia a falls comes in; above this creek on the same side is a small prairie. There is extensive low country on each side, thickly timbered.

The Quick Sand River appears to pass through the low country at the foot of those high range of mountains in a southerly direction. The large creeks which fall into the Columbia on the starboard side rise in the same range of mountains to the N.N.E. and pass through some ridgy land. A mountain which we suppose to be Mt. Hood is S. 85 E., about 47 miles distant from the mouth of Quick Sand River. This mountain is covered with snow and is in the range of mountains which we have passed through, and is of a conical form but rugged. After taking dinner at the mouth of this river we proceeded on, passed the head of an island near the larboard side, back of which on the same side and near the head a large creek falls in, and nearly opposite and 3 miles below the upper mouth of Quick Sand River is the lower mouth. This island is 3 1/2 miles long, has rocks at the upper point, some timber on the borders of the island, and in the middle is open and pondy. Some rugged rocks lie in the middle of the stream opposite this island. We proceeded into the center of a large island in the middle of the river which we call Diamond Island from its appearance. Here we met 15 Indian men in 2 canoes from below; they informed us they saw 3 vessels below, etc., etc. We landed on the north side of this Diamond Island and camped. Capt. Lewis walked out with his gun on the island, and sent out hunters and fowlers. Below Quick Sand River the country is low, rich, and thickly timbered on each side of the river, the islands open and with some ponds, the river wide, and immense numbers of fowls flying in every direction—such as swan, geese, brants, cranes, storks, white gulls, cormorants, and plovers, etc. Also great numbers of sea otter in the river. A canoe arrived from the village below the last rapid with a man, his wife and 3 children, and a woman who had been taken prisoner from the Snake Indians on Clarks River. I sent the interpreter's wife, who is a Shoshone or Snake Indian of the Missouri, to speak to this squaw; they could not understand each other sufficiently to converse. This family and the Indians we met from below continued with us. Capt Lewis (Capt. Lewis) borrowed a small canoe from those Indians, and 4 men took her across to a small lake in the island. Capt. L. and 3 men set out after night in this canoe in search of the swans, brants, ducks, etc., which appeared in great numbers in the lake. He killed a swan and several ducks, which made our number of fowls this evening 3 swans, 8 brants, and 5 ducks, on which we made a sumptuous supper. We gave the Indian who lent the canoe a brant, and some meat to the others. One of those Indians, the man from the village near the lower rapids, has a gun with a brass barrel and cock, which he prizes highly. Note: the mountain we saw from near the forks proves to be Mount Hood.